Ectopic pregnancy risk factors for ART patients undergoing the GnRH antagonist protocol: a retrospective study

Management of ectopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer: a case series and mini-review

Background

Ectopic pregnancy (EP), reflecting a fertilized ovum implanted outside the normal uterine cavity, represents a frequent cause of morbidity and possibly mortality in women of reproductive age.

Objective

To summarize the diagnosis and treatment of EP after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET).

Methods

The medical records of patients who were diagnosed with EP after embryo transfer from 2017 to 2019, in a tertiary hospital were reviewed.

Results

Of the 24 cases analyzed, 21 (87.5%) had fallopian tube involvement, while 2 (8.3%) and 1 (4.2%) had cornual and cervical pregnancies, respectively. Clinical manifestations included vaginal bleeding (58.3%) and lower abdominal pain (16.7%); 9 (42.9%) cases had no symptoms. One cornual pregnancy was misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis and later correctly diagnosed by laparoscopic exploration. There were 2 cases of multiple-site EP and 2 of heterotopic pregnancy, including one with an intrauterine pregnancy with double chorionic and four amniotic sacs and right tubal ampullary pregnancy. Five of the 21 cases with fallopian tube involvement received conservative treatment, while the remaining 16 underwent surgeries, including laparoscopic ipsilateral salpingostomy and ipsilateral salpingectomy.

Discussion

Ectopic pregnancy after embryo transfer, mainly involving the fallopian tube, is very complex and is with diverse manifestations. Even with the pregnancy sac observed in the uterus, the pelvic cavity should be scanned thoroughly after embryo transfer.

The Effect of Altered Mucin1, FGF2, and HBEGF Gene Expression at The Ectopic Implantation Site and Endometrial Tissues in The Tubal Pregnancy Pathogenesis: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is defined as implantation and development of an embryo outside of the uterine tissue. Women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART), particularly frozen embryo transfer (FET), are in high-risk populations for EP. Mucin1 (MUC1), fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2), and Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HBEGF) genes are involved in the endometrial receptivity pathway, leading to normal eutopic implantation; Although, their relevance in the tubal pregnancy after FET is unknown. We aimed evaluation of Mucin1, FGF2, and HBEGF expression fold as endometrial receptive markers in the EP patients following the FET cycle.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A case-control study was conducted on ten patients (five EP patients and five women in the pseudo-pregnancy group, as the control samples). Pseudo-pregnancy group was established in women who were candidates for hysterectomy for benign diseases. Fallopian tube biopsies and corresponding endometrial tissues from these patients were taken during the hysterectomy. However, the fallopian tube and endometrial tissues of EP patients were obtained during salpingectomy. The mRNA expressions of Mucin1, FGF2, and HBEGF genes in the fallopian tube and endometrial tissues were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.

RESULTS

MUC1 mRNA expression level in the endometrium of the case group was higher than in the control group (P=0.04); however, its mRNA expression in the fallopian samples of the case group in comparison with the control group was significantly decreased (P=0.001). The HBEGF mRNA expression level was not significantly different between the case and control endometrium, whereas its expression was significantly increased in the case fallopian samples compared with the control ones (P=0.001). The same pattern was observed for FGF2 mRNA expression level in the fallopian samples of the case group but was significantly reduced in the endometrial samples in comparison with the control samples (P=0.03).

CONCLUSION

Mucin1, FGF2, and HBEGF gene mRNA expression changes may explain the embryo rejection from the uterus and the establishment of a receptive phenotype in fallopian cells.

High anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is associated with increased risks of ectopic pregnancy in women undergoing fresh embryo transfer cycle, a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Ectopic pregnancy is more common amongst assisted reproduction cycles and is a cause of significant maternal morbidity. Few predictive markers exist to help identify and modify risk of ectopic pregnancy in preparing for embryo transfer. The relationship between serum and AMH and ectopic pregnancy rate is unknown.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study investigating women who underwent fresh embryo transfer cycles from January 2017 to December 2019 in Peking University Third Hospital. The primary outcome was ectopic pregnancy. Restricted cubic splines with four knots for AMH concentration (0-3, 3-6, 6-12, 12-max) were used to map out the non-linear relationship between the predicted ectopic pregnancy rate and the serum AMH concentration. Log binomial regression was used to test the crude risk ratio (cRR) and the adjusted risk ratio (aRR) after adjustment for confounders with 95% confidence intervals (CI) to determine the difference across various groups.

RESULTS

A total of 13,718 cycles in women undergoing fresh embryo transfer were eligible for analysis. The ectopic pregnancy rate was 1.3% per embryo transfer cycle initiated and 3.3% per pregnancy. Serum AMH concentrations were higher amongst women with ectopic pregnancy than in women with a confirmed intrauterine pregnancy or heterotopic pregnancy or who did not become pregnant (Mean levels: 4.0 ng/ml vs 3.2 ng/ml, 1.7 ng/ml, and 2.8 ng/ml). An AMH concentration of 7 ng/ml represented the best cut-off value to predict ectopic pregnancy. The ectopic pregnancy rate was 3.4% per cycle and 7.5% per pregnancy in women with AMH levels ≥ 7 ng/ml; and 1.2% per cycle and 2.9% per pregnancy in women with AMH levels < 7 ng/ml. Serum AMH concentration ≥ 7 ng/ml was associated with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy in all fresh embryo transfer cycles started (aRR = 2.35 (1.45, 3.58)) as well in women who became pregnant (aRR = 2.23 (1.49, 3.33).

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline AMH concentration ≥ 7 ng/ml is associated with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy in fresh embryo transfer cycles.

Is early-follicular long-acting GnRH agonist protocol an alternative for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing in vitro fertilization?

BACKGROUND

We aimed to compare the clinical and perinatal outcomes of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) treatment with either an early-follicular long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) long protocol (EFLL) or a midluteal short-acting GnRH-a long protocol (MLSL).

METHODS

This single-center, retrospective study, included patients with PCOS who underwent IVF/ICSI from January 2013 to June 2019 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China. Patients underwent either MLSL (1179 cycles) or EFLL (2390 cycles). The primary outcomes were pregnancy outcomes, perinatal and maternal complications.

RESULTS

Fresh embryo transfer (59.12% vs. 55.47%, P = 0.038), clinical pregnancy (75.23% vs. 53.82%, P = 0.001), and live birth rates (63.27% vs. 42.05%, P = 0.010) were higher in the EFLL group. However, the proportion of patients "freezing all" for high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) (24.27% vs. 32.06%, P = 0.001) and ectopic pregnancy (1.51% vs. 5.97%, P = 0.002) were lower in the EFLL group than in the MLSL group. The incidence of gestational diabetes was higher in the EFLL group than in the MLSL group (5.08% vs. 1.42%, RR 3.714, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.474-9.360, P = 0.003). There were no significant differences in the incidence of hypertension, premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, congenital heart disease, or neonatal weight between the two groups. Logistic regression results showed that age (OR 0.966, 95% CI 0.941-0.993, P = 0.013), treatments (OR 2.380, 95% CI 1.833-3.089, P = 0.001), and endometrial thickness on trigger day (OR 1.115, 95% CI 1.070-1.162, P = 0.001) were correlated with clinical pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy BMI (OR 1.098, 95% CI 1.002-1.204, P = 0.046), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (OR 3.096, 95% CI 1.900-5.046, P = 0.001), and treatments (OR 3.458, 95% CI 1.359-8.800, P = 0.009) were correlated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Treatments (OR 0.291, 95% CI 0.148-0.575, P = 0.001) and endometrial thickness on trigger day (OR 0.834, 95% CI 0.722-0.962, P = 0.013) were correlated with ectopic pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

The early-follicular long-acting GnRH agonist long protocol can be used as an ideal assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancy assistance program for patients with PCOS, but obese patients should be encouraged to lose weight before ART treatments to reduce the risk of GDM.

Differences in Ectopic Pregnancy Rates between Fresh and Frozen Embryo Transfer after In Vitro Fertilization: A Large Retrospective Study

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is increasingly found in women treated with in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF−ET). With the development of the freeze-all policy in reproductive medicine, it is controversial whether frozen embryo transfer (FET) could reduce the rate of EP. In this single-center, large-sample retrospective study, we analyzed 16,048 human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)-positive patients who underwent fresh embryo transfer (ET) or FET cycles between January 2013 and March 2022. Throughout the study, the total EP rate was 2.09% (336/16,048), 2.16% (82/3803) in the ET group, and 2.07% (254/12,245) in the FET group. After adjustment for age, infertility causes, and other confounding factors, logistic regression results showed no statistical difference in EP rates between FET and ET groups (odds ratio (OR) 0.93 (0.71−1.22), p > 0.05). However, among the 3808 patients who underwent fresh ET cycles, the OR for EP was significantly lower in the long agonist protocol group than in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol group (OR 0.45 (0.22−0.93), p < 0.05). Through a large retrospective study, we demonstrated a slightly lower EP rate in FET cycles than in fresh ET cycles, but there was no significant difference. The long agonist protocol in ET cycles had a significantly lower risk of EP than the GnRH-ant protocol.

Concurrent Ovarian and Tubal Ectopic Pregnancy After IVF-ET: Case Report and Literature Review

Ovarian pregnancy (OP) coupled with tubal ectopic pregnancy is rare. We present a case of coexistent ovarian and tubal ectopic pregnancies in the same adnexa resulting from in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) for tubal occlusion. The patient presented with mild vaginal bleeding without abdominal pain. OP was diagnosed via sonographic findings of an ectopic gestational sac (GS) and yolk sac that seemed to be inside her left ovary. Laparoscopic exploration confirmed this diagnosis, and ipsilateral tubal ectopic pregnancy was suspected during surgery. The patient underwent left salpingectomy and resection of the ovarian lesion. A subsequent histopathological examination verified the diagnosis of coexistent ovarian and tubal ectopic pregnancy. Though the mechanism underlying concurrent OP and tubal ectopic pregnancy is still unclear, clinicians should be cautious of potential combined ectopic pregnancy when dealing with patients who have received more than one embryo transfer.

Interaction networks between the Fallopian tubes and the embryo in human tubal pregnancy: Current knowledge and perspectives

AIM

More than 90% of ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tubes. As the pathogenesis of tubal pregnancy remains largely unclear, the development of strategies to prevent and treat tubal pregnancy still represents a major clinical challenge. This review thoroughly summarizes the current data, aiming to determine the genes and signaling pathways that are involved in the pathophysiology of human tubal pregnancy.

METHODS

An electronic search from databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Chinese databases was carried out using key words pertaining to the pathogenesis of tubal pregnancy from the perspectives of both the Fallopian tubes and the embryo. A review of the literatures including review articles, experimental, and observational studies and case reports published between 1999 and 2021 was conducted.

RESULTS

Tubal pregnancy results from the interaction networks between the Fallopian tube and the embryo rather than from simple tubal abnormality. Furthermore, the embryo-maternal communication is supposed to start from the preimplantation period to the implantation period.

CONCLUSION

A greater understanding of the interaction networks between the Fallopian tubes and the embryo is of great significance for the prevention and medical treatment of tubal pregnancy.

The Effective Role of Adding Letrozole to Methotrexate in the Management of Tubal Ectopic Pregnancies, a Randomized Clinical Trial

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is considered a main reproductive health challenge. According to the side effects of using methotrexate (MTX), it is rational to find safer drugs in the management of EP. This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding letrozole to the single-dose MTX in the management of EPs. This study was conducted in an academic hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Women with EP and stable vital signs with β-hCG levels ≤3500 were assigned randomly to receive MTX + placebo or MTX + letrozole. The regression pattern of β-hCG, need for further surgery, and potential side effects were compared between groups. A total of 90 women were assigned equally to the study groups and were matched in age, body mass index (BMI), serum biochemistry, and primary levels of β-hCG. No drug-related side effects were observed in groups. The rates of further surgery (p = 0.614) and second dose of MTX (p = 0.809) were not significant between groups. In the MTX + placebo group, we observed a minor increase in β-hCG levels on day 4 followed by a decreasing pattern on days 7 and 14. But, in MTX + letrozole group, a decreasing pattern in β-hCG levels from day 1 through day 14 was perceived. The results support using MTX + letrozole to treat stable women diagnosed with tubal EP as a safe and efficient method. Further studies are required to evaluate letrozole alone as an alternative therapy in EPs.

Correlation between Ovarian Reserve and Incidence of Ectopic Pregnancy after In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

PURPOSE

To elucidate the correlation between ovarian reserve and the incidence of ectopic pregnancy (EP) following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ET) cycles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this observational study, 430 fresh IVF/ET cycles were examined from patient data of two university hospital infertility clinics. All included patients were positive for β-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) at 2 weeks after oocyte retrieval via controlled ovarian stimulation. For each cycle, information on age, duration of infertility, basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), days of ovarian stimulation, numbers of retrieved oocytes and transferred embryos, and pregnancy outcomes was collected. Patients with AMH lower than 1.0 ng/dL or basal FSH higher than 10 mIU/mL were classified into the decreased ovarian reserve (DOR) group, and the remaining patients were classified into the normal ovarian reserve (NOR) group.

RESULTS

In total, 355 cycles showed NOR, and 75 cycles DOR. There were no significant differences between the DOR and NOR groups regarding intrauterine (74.7% vs. 83.4%, respectively) or chemical (14.7% vs. 14.1%, respectively) pregnancies. The DOR group had a higher EP than that of NOR group [10.7% (8/75) vs. 2.5% (9/355), p=0.004]. In both univariate [odds ratio (OR) 5.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-9.6, p=0.011] and multivariate (adjusted OR 5.1, 95 % CI 1.1-18.7, p=0.012) analysis, DOR was associated with a higher risk of EP.

CONCLUSION

DOR may be associated with a higher risk of EP in IVF/ET cycles with controlled ovarian stimulation. More careful monitoring may be necessary for pregnant women with DOR.

Effects of Levonorgestrel and progesterone on Oviductal physiology in mammals

BACKGROUND

Our previous study indicated that emergency contraception, including levonorgestrel and progesterone, could lead to ectopic pregnancy following contraception failure. However, our understanding of the effects of levonorgestrel and progesterone on oviductal physiology is limited.

METHODS

The receptivity of the fallopian tubal epithelium after levonorgestrel and progesterone treatment was examined through western blots for receptivity markers and JAr-spheroid-fallopian tubal epithelial cell attachment assays. The ciliary beat frequency was analyzed using an inverted bright-field microscope. Furthermore, an in vivo animal model of embryo-tubal transplantation was also studied to determine the effects of levonorgestrel- and progesterone-induced ciliary beat reduction.

RESULTS

Our results showed that levonorgestrel and progesterone did not change the levels of fallopian tubal epithelial cell receptive markers, including LIF, STAT3, IGFBP1, ITGB3, MUC1, and ACVR1B, or affect JAr-spheroid implantation. However, levonorgestrel and progesterone reduced the ciliary beat frequency in fallopian tubes in a dose-dependent manner. An in vivo model also showed that levonorgestrel and progesterone could lead to embryo retention in the oviducts.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that levonorgestrel and progesterone can reduce the ciliary beat frequency without altering receptivity, indicating a possible mechanism for progesterone- or levonorgestrel-induced tubal pregnancy.

Clinical significance of expression of hsa-mir-1247 and hsa-mir-1269a in ectopic pregnancy due to salpingitis

The clinical significance of hsa-mir-1247 and hsa-mir-1269a expression in ectopic pregnancy due to salpingitis was investigated. Eighty patients with ectopic pregnancy diagnosed by ultrasonography who were admitted to Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital from January 2012 to May 2012 were enrolled in this study. To the observation group were assigned 35 patients whose ectopic pregnancy was due to salpingitis. The remaining 45 patients whose ectopic pregnancy was due to reasons other than endometriosis were assigned to the control group. Moreover, 32 healthy pregnant women were enrolled in this study at the same time as the healthy control group. Compared with the healthy control group, hsa-mir-1247 and hsa-mir-1269a were downregulated and upregulated, respectively, in patients with ectopic pregnancy (P<0.05). The difference was even more marked in patients with ectopic pregnancy due to salpingitis (P<0.05). The expression levels of hsa-mir-1247 and hsa-mir-1269a were negatively correlated, and the correlation coefficient r and P-value was -0.667 and 0.006, respectively. Abnormal expression of hsa-mir-1247 and hsa-mir-1269a may be risk factors for ectopic pregnancy. Abnormal expression of hsa-mir-1247 and hsa-mir-1269a found in patients with ectopic pregnancy due to salpingitis may be used as biomarkers of ectopic pregnancy.

Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer Cycles Have a Lower Incidence of Ectopic Pregnancy Compared With Fresh Embryo Transfer Cycles

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the risk of ectopic pregnancy of embryo transfer.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study on the incidence of ectopic pregnancy in fresh and frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles from January 1^st, 2010, to January 1^st, 2015.

PATIENTS

Infertile women undergoing frozen-thawed transfer cycles or fresh transfer cycles.

INTERVENTION

In-vitro fertilization, fresh embryo transfer, frozen-thawed embryo transfer, ectopic pregnancy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Ectopic pregnancy rate and clinical pregnancy rate.

RESULT

A total of 69 756 in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles from 2010 to 2015 were analyzed, including 45 960 (65.9%) fresh and 23 796 (34.1%) frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. The clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer was slightly lower in fresh embryo transfer cycles compared with frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles (40.8% vs 43.1%, P < .001). Frozen-thawed embryo transfer is associated with a lower incidence of ectopic pregnancy per clinical pregnancy, compared with fresh embryo transfers (odds ratio = 0.31; 95% confidence interval = 0.24-0.39). Female age and body mass index have no influence on ectopic pregnancy. In the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles, blastocyst transfer shows a significantly lower incidence of ectopic pregnancy (0.8% vs 1.8%, P = .002) in comparison with day 3 cleavage embryo transfer.

CONCLUSION

The risk of ectopic pregnancy is lower in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles than fresh embryo transfer cycles, and blastocyst transfer could further decrease the ectopic pregnancy rate in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles.

Increased incidence of ectopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization in women with decreased ovarian reserve

The incidence of ectopic pregnancy after assisted reproductive technology is increased approximately 2.5-5-fold compared with natural conceptions.Strategies were used to decrease the incidence of ectopic pregnancy, but ectopic pregnancy still occurs. In the present study, women were selected with decreased ovarian reserve (defined as FSH > 10 IU/L) aged 20 to 38 years who underwent IVF-ET between 2009 and 2014. These 2,061 women were age-matched with an equal number of women with normal ovarian reserve (defined as FSH ≤ 10 IU/L). During cycles following fresh embryo transfer, 93 patients were diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy. The incidence of ectopic pregnancy in clinical pregnancies was significantly higher in the decreased ovarian reserve than in the normal ovarian reserve group (5.51% vs. 2.99%). After adjusting for confounding factors, the incidence of ectopic pregnancy was significantly associated with decreased ovarian reserve. Our results showed that decreased ovarian reserve is an independent risk factor for ectopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Risk of adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes after high technology infertility treatment: a comprehensive systematic review

In the literature, there is growing evidence that subfertile patients who conceived after infertility treatments have an increased risk of pregnancy and perinatal complications and this is particularly true for patients who conceived through use of high technology infertility treatments. Moreover, high technology infertility treatments include many concomitant clinical and biological risk factors. This review aims to summarize in a systematic fashion the current evidence regarding the relative effect of the different procedures for high technology infertility treatments on the risk of adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcome. A literature search up to August 2016 was performed in IBSS, SocINDEX, Institute for Scientific Information, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar and an evidence-based hierarchy was used to determine which articles to include and analyze. Data on prepregnancy maternal factors, low technology interventions, specific procedures for male factor, ovarian tissue/ovary and uterus transplantation, and chromosomal abnormalities and malformations of the offspring were excluded. The available evidences were analyzed assessing the level and the quality of evidence according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system, respectively. Current review highlights that every single procedure of high technology infertility treatments can play a crucial role in increasing the risk of pregnancy and perinatal complications. Due to the suboptimal level and quality of the current evidence, further well-designed studies are needed.

Ectopic pregnancy following in vitro fertilization: meta-analysis and single-center experience during 6 years

BACKGROUND

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) has been reported to occur in 1.4-5.4% of all clinical pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET). Data on factors associated with abnormal embryo implantation following assisted conception are limited.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine whether there is an association between the day (cleavage-stage, D3, versus blastocyst, D5) or the type (fresh versus frozen/thawed) of ET and EP rate. Risk factors for EP were evaluated in a retrospective study of 1194 women, who achieved pregnancy at our IVF unit between 2010 and 2016.

RESULTS

Sixteen papers were considered for the meta-analysis. EP rate did not differ between D3 and D5 fresh ET groups (RR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.76-1.30) and was higher after fresh versus frozen ET (RR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.25-1.95). At our clinic, 21 (1.76%) pregnancies were documented as ectopic. The risk of EP was associated with tubal pathology (OR = 3.37, 95%CI: 1.39-8.2), previous appendectomy and past chlamydial infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Present meta-analysis suggests that EP rate is similar following fresh blastocyst and cleavage ETs, but is significantly reduced after frozen compared with fresh ET. Our own findings demonstrate that tubal pathology has the major impact on EP occurrence following assisted conception.